Saturday, December 14, 2013

Jason goes to Holehead--Day 13

Two more movies last Wednesday. Both low budget. Both with filmmakers in attendance. One of which was good. And that one was HUNGER UNHOLY. A group of friends gather in a remote house in the woods. Gabe's father used to live there, but recently passed away. Out of fear that the creepy neighbor--who was fighting with their dad--might steal stuff, they get there as quickly as possible. But they've got bigger things to worry about as the whole gang starts disappearing one by one under the full moon. Yup, it's a werewolf story. And it's low budget and it shows. But in a good way. Reminiscent of late 70's/early 80's lo-fi work of John Carpenter. It's got the lo-fi aesthetic down perfectly, not just in the cinematography (kinda grainy, like something you'd watch on VHS from the local video rental place...kids, ask your parents what I'm talking about) but the shot selection editing (close ups on small details like turning the key in the ignition to start the car.) The story isn't too much to get excited about, and when the monster is finally revealed it looks pretty cheesy (it was better when the monster was hidden off-screen or in shadows) but with just a $5,000 budget Nicholas Holland has shown he can squeeze every drop of quality out of his budget.

BTW, someone has to tell these young filmmakers never brag about how cheap your movie was. If you made a low-budget film and people are interested in the cost, you tell them "Under a million" and that's all. At least, that's what all the indie filmmakers were saying 5 years ago, I'm not actually in the industry so take my advice with a grain of salt.

And then...sigh...STRUGGLED REAGANS. The title actually comes from a line of cheap knock-off Tokusatsu (think Power Rangers) toys that director Gregg Golding saw in the Mission district years ago. So he made this weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird mess about them with a tumor growing in the collective unconscious and Reagans with aborted fetuses, dripping faucets, vaginal cucumbers, and BTK killer themes. And there's a Hindu God, and a guy who lost his dick in a motorcycle accident. And it's loud, weird, and annoying (at least, for the moments I was awake.) I think my friend Ira tweeted it best, and I really have nothing to add:

“Struggled Reagans”:
Sordid evidence as to why millennial hipsters should not be permitted to make “film”.
#MyEyesAreBleeding
— Perfect_Timing (@Perfect_Timing) December 12, 2013

“Struggled Reagans”:
80 useless minutes of my life that would have been better spent stabbing myself with a shrimp fork.
— Perfect_Timing (@Perfect_Timing) December 12, 2013

“Struggled Reagans”:
With a “script” ripped from every new-agey metaphysical self help book and skinny assholes in colorful spandex…
— Perfect_Timing (@Perfect_Timing) December 12, 2013